Dataran Merdeka or Merdeka Square is undoubtedly KL’s best known landmark. Also called Dataran Merdeka, it is set in front of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building (the former State Secretariat). Directly in front is the Royal Selangor Club and to the north is St. Mary’s Church, one of Malaysia’s oldest Anglican churches.

Within the colonial core of Kuala Lumpur, where the remnants of the British empire are especially evident, Merdeka Square seems to be nothing more than a giant field with perfectly manicured green lawns and a centrepiece of the tallest flagpole in the world (95m) proudly displaying the Jalur Gemilang (Malaysian flag). At the corner of Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman and Jalan Raja Laut, Merdeka Square is made up of a padang (field) that was once the Selangor Club cricket pitch.

The Merdeka Square is located exactly opposite the Sultan Abdul Samad Building and right beside the Royal Selangor Club. This is the historical place where the Union Flag was lowered and the Malayan flag was raised for the very first time at the struck of midnight of 31st August 1957. From then on, Merdeka Square has been the venue for the annual Merdeka Parade.